Skype and Logitech promise better video calling

Skype and Logitech have partnered, hoping to do for video calling what Loggins and Messina did for yacht rock. The beautiful music the two companies hope to create with their union is high-quality video calling, with promises of VGA (640x480) resolution and a smooth 30 frames per second. To get the goods, you'll need one of three Logitech cameras: the QuickCam Pro 9000, the QuickCam Pro for Notebooks, or the QuickCam Orbit AF and the latest version of Logitech's Webcam software, QuickCam 11.5. You'll also need the latest Skype client, version 3.6, along with a broadband connection and a dual-core processor.

Coincidentally, I'm working on a handful of Webcam reviews this week, including the QuickCam Pro 9000. Unfortunately, I can't put these high-quality video claims to immediate test because, strangely, Skype isn't releasing 3.6 to coincide with this announcement. (It's expected in November.)

Having tested the QuickCam Pro for Notebooks two weeks ago, I can tell you that while the video quality was impressive when using the QuickCam software, the quality dropped noticeably when using Skype. Next month, I'll put Skype and Logitech's high-quality video claims to the test.

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